Knife sharpening device having angularly and lineally adjustable cutters



June 11, 1957 B. K. MURCHISON 2,795,155

KNIFE SHARPENING DEVICE HAVING ANGULARLY AND LINEALLY ADJUSTABLE CUTTERS Filed Feb. 10, 1953 2 s eets-west 1 38a 34 48b 44 48 J2 IN VEN TOR. I 4 2 I 2 8 Bum/(um; A4 flu/ecll/m/ 2 20 6' 0 J8 '56 FIG. 3 I BY 8 M June 11, 1957 B. K. MURCHISON 2,795,156 KNIFE SHARPENING DEVICE HAVING ANGULARLY AND LINEALLY ADJUSTABLE CUTTERS Filed Feb. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l ml lull

FIG. 7

INVENTOR. 1 25mm k/ELL K Mc/RC/l/Sfl/l/ KNIFE SHARPENING DEVICE HAVING ANGU- LARLY AND LINEALLY ADJUSTABLE CUT- TERS Blackwell K. Murchison, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Bessie F. Murchison, executrix of said Blackweli K. Murchison, deceased Application February 10, 1953, Serial No. 336,041 2 Claims. (Cl. 76-86) This invention relates to a knife sharpening device having angularly and lineally adjustable cutters.

The knife sharpening device which is herein described and claimed is adjustable in every effective direction and respect. Two sets of cutters are provided, one for one side of the knife and the other for the opposite side thereof. The cutters are adjustable toward and away from each other, this adjustment taking place on a straight,

common line which extends longitudinally of the sharpening device and transversely of the longitudinal axis of the knife. The angular relationship between the two sets of cutters thus far remains unchanged and the sole effect of such adjustment is to expose different parts of the cutters to the knife. This is an exceedingly important feature because it makes effective use of the entire cutting edge of each of the cutters.

The two sets of cutters are also angular adjustable relative to each other and about two parallel axes which are transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sharpener and which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the knife. This adjustment changes the angular relationship between the two sets of cutters and it is obviously extremely important because it controls the angle of the cutting edge of the knife. The angular range of the adjustment extends from zero degrees to ninety degrees.

The two adjustments above described may be made independently of each other but the effect of one of said adjustments is to modify the effect of the other. More specifically, when an angular adjustment is made, there is a change in the lineal relationship between the two cutters so if the original lineal relationship is to be restored, a lineal adjustment must be made. The lineal adjustment, however, will not disturb the angular relationship of the cutters.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to .provide a knife sharpening device whose cutters are adjustable both angularly and lineally relative to each other.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a knife sharpening device of this character in which there are two sets of cutters which are angularly adjustable relative to each other, each set being independently adjustable relative to the other set and both sets being adjustable relative to each other. Thus it is possible to adjust the angular relationship between the two sets of cutters by simply adjusting either of these two sets of cutters relative to the other. If desired, the angular relationship between the two sets of cutters may be changed by changing the adjustments of both sets.

It has above been stated that the sharpening device herein described and claimed is provided with two sets of cutters which are adjustable both angularly and lineally relative to each other. In the preferred form of this invention, one of these sets comprises two spaced individual cutters whose cutting edges occupy a common plane.

The other set consists, however, of only one cutter al-' though it may consist of more than one. Similarly, the first mentioned set may consist of more or less than two cutters. In any case, each set meshes with the other set nited States Patent ice and where there are two cutters in one set and only one in the other set, the latter projects into the former and the extent of such projection or depth of penetration depends upon the lineal adjustment of the parts. In the simplest or most elemental form of this invention, there would be only a single cutter on one side and a blank or knife rest on the opposite side. In the next simplest form of the invention, there would be two cutters, one on each side. Other variations are obviously within the realm or scope of this invention.

Consequently, it is another object of this invention to provide a knife sharpening device having meshed cutters which are angularly and lineally adjustable relative to each other.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a knife sharpening device of the character described wherein a simple screw adjustment is provided for lineal adjustment of the cutters. Turning the screw in one direction causes a linealadjustment in one direction and turning the screw in the opopsite direction causes a lineal adjustment in opposite direction.

It is still another important object of this invention to provide a knife sharpening device of the ch'aracterdescribed wherein each cutter or set of cutters is clamped in any selected angular position by means of a screw member. The screw member may be loosened and the angu-- lar position of the cutter or set ofcutters may be changed as desired and the screw member may then be tightened to retain said cutter or set of cutters in such changed position.

Still another important object of this invention is the provision of a knife sharpening device of the character described wherein the cutters are made of metal having a virtually infinite effective life. Illustrative is Carboloy of Carboloy Co., Inc. which is made in several grades of tungsten carbide, tantalum carbide, titanium carbide or combinations thereof.

Similarly, it is an important object of this invention to provide a knife sharpening device of the character described in which grinding or polishing elements are embodied either in addition to and supplementary to carbide cutters or as the only knife conditioning elements in the device, -In either case, they involve the principles of the mesh relationship and the angular and lineal adjustments above mentioned. Any suitable grinding or polish-V ing material may be used in these elements. Illustrative The reference in this specification to knives is intended to be all inclusive and to relate to cutlery and cutting tools of every description, including scissors, shears and the like.

Preferred forms of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a top view of a knife sharpening device made in accordance with one form of this invention. i

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an end view of said device.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top view of a knife sharpening device made in accordance with a modified form of this invention.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary top view of stillanother modification of this invention.

Referring now to the first five figures of the drawing, it will be seen that the knife sharpening device herein claimed includes the following component parts: A base plate 10, .a block 12 which is mounted on'said base plate,

at one end thereof, and fixedly secured thereto,'a second block. 14 which is also mounted on said base plate, inter.

mediate the first block and the opposite end of said base plate, said second block 14 being slidably disposed 'on said base plate, a longitudinally extending hole 16 formed in the first block 12,. a registering. longitudinally extending hole 18 formed is provided with screw threads 22 at one end and which extends at its opposite end into hole 16 of block Hand is there rigidly secured to said block, the intermediate-poi"- tion of said rod extending through hole 18 in'bloclc 14 with just sufficient clearance to enable said block 14 to slide on said rod, longitudinally thereof, enlargements 24 and 26 formed atthenfacing ends of holes 16' and '18, a compression spring 28coiled about rodand extending at its respective ends into enlargements 24 and-26*and bearing against the two blocks 12am 14 to urge them apart, a nut 30 which ismounted on the threaded end of rod 20, in screw threaded engagement therewith, and

bearing against block 14 to resist the pressure of spring 28, a stud 32' carried by block 1 2 transversely of rod 20-,

said stud having a head 34 at one end and screw threads 36 at its opposite end, a knife sharpening element 38 ro tatably mounted on stud 32 between its head and block 12, a nut 40 on the screw threaded end of said stud to clamp the stud and the knife sharpening element 38to block 12, a second stud 42 carried by block 14, transversely of rod 20 and parallel to stud 32, said second stud 42 havin'ga head 44 and screw threads 46 at opposite ends thereof, a pair of knife sharpening elements 48 and 50 and a spacer 52 mounted on said second stud 42 between its head 44 and block 14, and a nut54 on the threaded end of said second stud 42 to clamp said stud and the two knife sharpening elements 48 and 50 and spacer-.52 to block 14. The spacer need not be a separate element but it may be integral with or brazed to the sharpening elements to which it is adjacent.

Block 12 is secured to base plate 10 by means of screw 56. This is illustrative and the baseplate may be secured in any other suitablemanner. A set screw 58 secures rod 20 to block 12 to prevent relative movement between them. This may be achieved in' any other suitable way. Nut 30 is provided with an extension piece 30a which serves as a handle for turning said nut in either direction. When it is turned in one direction, it presses against block 14 and pushes said block in the direction of block 12 against the action of spring 28. Block 14 is free to move relative to block 12 since it is not attached'to base plate 10.

Block 14 is prevented from turning on rod 20 since it is disposed flat against the base plate and further for the reason that it rides within a channel 10:: which is formed in and extendslongitudinally of the base, and hence its only possible movement is in either direction longitudinally of rod 20. When nut 30 is turned in the opposite direction, it is caused to move backwardly on rod 20 (rightwardly as viewed in Fig. 3) and the action of spring 28 on block 14 causes it to move with said nut in the-same direction. It will be understood that this. is the means whereby lineal adjustment of the sharpening elements relative to each other may be effected. It will also be understood that this adjustment means is illustrative of adjustment mechanism generally and lineal adjustment of the relationship between the two blocks may be effected in other ways.

It will be seen in Fig. 1 that holes 60 are formed in i the base plate, at its four corners, and it wilLbe under-. stood that these holes are intended to receive screws or in the second block 14, arod 20 which such as a table top in a private home or a counter top in a public eating place. It is of course not essential that this sharpening device he fixedly secured to a support in order that it may properly be used, since it is quite possible to make good and adequate use of it by simply holding it down with one hand and drawing the knife across it with the other hand. To facilitate such use of this de- 48:: and a cutter 48b. And by the same token sharpening element 50 comprises a disc-shaped support 50:! and a cutter 50b; Disc-shaped support 38a has a hole formed therein, centrally thereof, to accommodate stud 32 and disc-shaped supports 48a and 500 are provided with similar holes formed therein, centrally thereof, to accommodate stud 42. In this illustrated form of the invention, therefore, there are three cutting elements, two disposed on block 14 and one disposed on block 12 and it will be seen in Fig. 1 that these cutting elements mesh with each other in the sense that the single cutting element 38b projects into the space between the other two cutting elements 48b and 50b. The extent to which the single cutting element extends into the space between the other two cutting elements will depend upon the lineal adjustment above described.

It will be seen in the drawing that an arcuate recess 62 is formed in block. 12 to receive disc 38a. A similar recess 64 is formed in block 14 to receive discs 48aand 50a. There is a fairly snug fit between the discs and the ,ZlICllfltB walls of these recesses as Fig. 3 clearly other fastening elements to secure the base plate: and

hence the entire sharpening device to a suitable support,

shows and consequently it will be understood that these arcuate walls serve as supports for said discs and hence for the cutting elements mounted on said discs. In other words, the stress and strain of the knife sharpening operations are not borne solely by the two studs 32 and 42; instead, they are borne primarily or at least to some substantial extent, by blocks 12 and 14 and more particularly by the curved walls of recesses 62 and 64 formed in said blocks.

It will be understood from the fact that this arcuate seating of the discs in the blocks renders it possible for the discs to turn on their respective axes, that angular adjustment of the cutting elements 38b, 48b and 50/: may readily take place. All that need be done is to loosen nut 40 and to turn disc 38a to any selected angular position on stud 32 and then to tighten said nut to clamp said disc in place or to loosen nut 54 and to turn discs 48a and 50a to selected angular positions on stud 42 and then to tighten nut 54 to clamp said discs in place. This is the angular adjustment feature which is above mentioned and which is herein claimed. It will be seen that this adjustment is independent of the lineal adjustment above described although it modifies the effect of said lineal adjustment. Cutting elements 38b, 48b and 50b are set into their respective disc supports as Figs. 1. 3 and 4 clearly show. In other Words, a recessed seat is provided in each disc support for the cutting element which it carries. The cutting element is thereby supported along its back and bottom edges and at its sides. Furthermore, a shoulder 66 is provided at the bottom of each cutting element and said shoulder is notched into the sides of the disc which is individual to it in order to precisely and securely seat the cutting element relative thereto. See Figs. 2 and3. It will be understood that the cutting elements may be secured in any conventional manner to the disc supports, as by brazing.

Referring now to Fig. 6, it will be seen that the very same structure which has above been described is employed in Fig. 6, with the sole exception that longer studs 7 0 and 72 are used in place of studs 32 and 42 and that additional spacers and also grinding or polishing elements are added. A spacer 74, a disc-shaped support 76, a second spacer 78 and a second disc-shaped support 80 are mounted on stud 70 in addition to disc-shaped support 38a. A grinding or polishing element 76a is set into support 76 and a similar grinding or polishing element 80a is set into support 80. In addition to supports 48a and 50a and spacer 52 on stud 72 is a spacer 82 and a disc-shaped support 84. Seated on said support 84 is a grinding or polishing element 84a. In all other respects the mechanism is the same. The cutting elements perform in precisely the same manner in which they perform when they are alone but in addition the grinding or polishing elements perform a grinding or polishing function to supplement the cutting action of the cutting elements. These grinding or polishing elements are meshed in precisely the same manner as the cutting elements above described, one of said grinding or polishing elements projecting into the space between the other two grinding or polishing elements. The same mechanism which determines the depth of penetration or intermeshing relationship of the one cutting element relative to the pair of cutting elements will also determine the depth of penetration or intermeshing relationship of the one grinding or polishing element relative to the pair of grinding or polishing elements. Similarly, the means by which the cutting elements are angularly adjusted relative to each other is the same means whereby the grinding or polishing elements are angularly adjusted relative to each other.

The grinding or polishing elements may be secured to their disc-shaped supports by any conventional means and method commonly used in securing an abrasive element to a suitable support therefor.

Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 6 except that the cutting elements are omitted therefrom and only the grinding or polishing elements remain. It will be understood from this arrangement of parts that the mechanism herein described and claimed may be fitted solely with grinding or polishing elements, rather than with cutting elements as above described.

When the grinding or polishing elements are alone used, a knife may be drawn across them in either direction so that the device may conveniently be used irrespective of its position relative to the person using the same and irrespective of whether that person is right or left-handed. The cutting elements on the other hand are provided with beveled faces as Fig. 1 clearly shows. They may be positioned for use by a right-handed person and their positions may be reversed for use by a lefthanded person.

The foregoing is illustrative of preferred forms of this invention and it will clearly be understood that these preferred'forms may be modified and other forms may be provided within the broad spirit of the invention and the broad scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A knife sharpening device comprising a base, a block fixedly mounted on said base, a second block slidably mounted on said base, screw means connected to the slidable block for adjusting its position relative to the fixed block, a knife sharpening element mounted on the fixed block for pivotal movement about an axis which is transverse to the axis of movement of the slidable block, clamping means for clamping said knife sharpening element in selected angular positions, a second knife sharpening element mounted on the slidableblock for pivotal movement about an axis which is spaced from and parallel to the axis of movement of the first knife sharpening element, and clamping means for clam-ping said second knife sharpening element in selected angular positions, said sharpening elements having sharpening edges which are tangential to circles concentric with their respective pivotal axes, said sharpening elements being offset from each other along their respective axes to enable their said sharpening edges to enter into partly overlapping positions and thereby to receive a knife between them, one of the knife sharpening elements comprising a disc support and a cutter seated in the peripheral edge of said disc support, said clamping means for clamping one of said knife sharpening elements in selected angular positions a clamping bolt provided for said disc support on which the disc support is angularly movable, said clamping bolt being disposed transversely of the axis of movement of the slidable block and being adapted to clamp said disc support to the block which supports said knife sharpening element, in selected angular positions about said clamping bolt.

2. A knife sharpening device comprising a base, a block fixedly mounted on said base, a second block slidably mounted on said base, screw means connected to the slidable block for adjusting its position relative to the fixed block, a knife sharpening element mounted on the fixed block for pivotal movement about an axis which is transverse to the axis of movement of the slidable block, clamping means for clamping said knife sharpening element in selected angular positions, a second knife sharpening element mounted on the slidable block for pivotal movement about an axis which is spaced from and parallel to the axis of movement of the first knife sharpening element, and clamping means for clamping said second knife sharpening element in selected angular positions, said sharpening elements having sharpening edges which are tangential to circles concentric with their respective pivotal axes, said sharpening elements being olfset from each other along their respective axes to enable their said sharpening edges to enter into partly overlapping positions and thereby to receive a knife between them, one of the knife sharpening elements comprising a pair of disc supports which are disposed in spaced parallel relation to each other, and a cutter seated in the peripheral edge of each of said disc supports, said clamping means for clamping and sharpening element of which said disk supports are component parts in selected angular positions including a clamping bolt for said disc supports on which they are angularly movable and a spacer also mounted on said clamping bolt, between said disc supports, to maintain their spaced relationship, said clamping bolt being disposed transversely of the axis of movement of the slidable block and being adapted to clamp said disc supports to the block which supports the knife sharpening element of which said disc supports are component parts and thereby to fix said disc supports and the cutters which are seated in them in selected angular positions about said clamping bolt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 343,852 Reinhold June 15, 1886 457,965 Bradford Aug. 18, 1891 465,880 Peer Dec. 29, 1891 1,516,997 Watts Nov. 25, 1924 1,578,264 Church Mar. 30, 1926 1,732,360 Hanson Oct. 22, 1929 1,952,106 Vierling Mar. 27, 1934 2,598,589 Murchison May 27, 1952 2,683,385 Murchison July 13, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 30,365 Netherlands Feb. 15, 1933 735,570 France Nov. 10, 1932 

